Tweet
Penn State the credit that they deserve?? I personally think that they are a pretty legit team.. I just read this on sportsnetwork.com
Saturday, October 15th - 3:30 p.m. (et)
The Sports Network
By Frank Haynes, College Football Senior Editor
GAME NOTES: The eighth-ranked Penn State Nittany Lions are in the driver's seat with regard to the Big Ten championship, and they will look to remain the lone undefeated squad in the conference when they pull into Ann Arbor for this Saturday's crucial clash with the Michigan Wolverines. At 6-0, Joe Paterno's Lions are off to their best start since opening the 1999 campaign 9-0, and PSU is 3-0 in league play. Penn State, the Big Ten's first bowl eligible squad this year, owns the nation's third longest winning streak at eight games, dating back to last season. This is the finale of a three-game stretch against ranked teams, and the Lions have come out unscathed to this point. Penn State outlasted No. 6 Ohio State in Happy Valley last Saturday night, 17-10. A win in this contest will give Paterno 350 victories in his storied career. As for Michigan, it is in unfamiliar territory, having lost three of its first six games. Lloyd Carr's Wolverines already have two Big Ten setbacks, the most recent of which was last Saturday's 23-20 loss at home to Minnesota in the battle for the "Little Brown Jug". The Maize and Blue have yet to put consecutive wins together this season and the loss to the Golden Gophers meant the Wolverines have two home losses for the first time since 1994. They haven't been 3-3 to start a season since 1990. Michigan holds a 7-3 edge in the all-time series with Penn State, but the teams haven't met since the Wolverines took a 27-24 decision back in 2002. UM has won the last six meetings.
It was far from a dominant performance, but the Michael Robinson-led Penn State offense did just enough to help the Nittany Lions to a 17-10 win over visiting Ohio State last Saturday. PSU wound up with just 195 total yards (117 rushing, 78 passing), but Robinson and Derrick Williams both scored on second- quarter runs before turning the game over to the defense. Robinson finished with 52 yards on 14 carries, while Tony Hunt led the PSU ground assault with 64 yards on 16 totes. Penn State struggled on third down, converting just 3- of-13 tries, but did not suffer a sack or turnover on the night. Through six games, Robinson is completing 52.4 percent of his passes for 184.7 ypg with nine TDs and six INTs. Deon Butler, one of three freshmen making significant contributions in the pass game, is the team's top receiver with 20 grabs for 355 yards and four scores, while Williams has accounted for four TDs as well (one receiving, three rushing). Hunt is the team's primary ball carrier, picking up 539 yards and three TDs this year, and Robinson has reached the end zone on runs a team-high five times.
The Penn State defense played about as well as a defensive unit can play last weekend, holding the Ohio State offense to a mere 230 total yards (91 rushing, 139 passing). The 10 points allowed lowered the Lions' scoring defense average for the season to just 15.5 ppg, the second-lowest in the Big Ten, while the yardage yield lowered their total defense average to 295.5 ypg, also second in the conference. Standout LB Paul Posluszny was a man possessed for Paterno's squad, making a game-high 14 tackles which included one of PSU's five sacks on the night. He came into the contest as one of the Big Ten's top tacklers, but has been in the shadow of OSU's big three, A.J. Hawk, Bobby Carpenter and Anthony Schlegel. However, it was Posluszny who earned the praise of just about everyone watching and he now ranks second in the league in total stops with 71. Chris Harrell and Dan Connor both had exceptional games as well, logging 12 tackles apiece, while Tamba Hali continued his dominant play in the trenches, posting 2.5 TFLs, including 1.5 sacks. The Nittany Lions will need to stand tall on defense once again this week, as the Michigan offense has the ability, although not always present, to chew up yardage and put points on the board.
Despite featuring some star-caliber players, the Michigan offense hasn't exactly lit the world on fire this season, and in fact, the unit is ranked ninth in the Big Ten with an average of 397.8 total ypg. In last week's heartbreaking loss to the Golden Gophers, the Wolverines managed just 249 yards, with 94 coming on the ground and 155 through the air. Standout sophomore RB Mike Hart rumbled his way to 109 yards and a TD on 28 carries, but sophomore QB Chad Henne was sacked three times while completing less than 50 percent of his pass attempts. He did not have a TD pass in the contest, marking the first time in his career he didn't toss at least one scoring strike, breaking his school-record 17 straight with a TD pass. Jason Avant had a solid game, hauling in six balls for 73 yards, while fellow wideout Steve Breaston returned a kickoff 95 yards for a score near the start of the second half. Red-zone efficiency has been a sore spot for UM this season, as the team has scored on just 21-of-29 opportunities (14 TDs), while only 42.6 percent of its third-down tries have been converted successfully. Henne has hit the mark on 56.2 percent of his throws this season for an average of 211.0 ypg with 11 TDs against only three INTs. Avant leads the Big Ten in both receptions (45) and receiving yards (587).
The Michigan defense has actually played pretty well this season, giving up just 18.5 points and 322.3 total yards per contest, both of which rank the team in the top four in the conference. The Wolverines have been especially tough against the pass, yielding a league-low 171.2 ypg and only four aerial scores. Their effort versus the run hasn't been nearly as good, with opponents gaining an average of 151.2 ypg on the ground. Last week, the Minnesota offense, one of the top rushing units in the country, churned out 264 yards in averaging 4.6 ypc. Minnesota scored on all five visits to the red zone, converted 9-of-17 third-down tries and suffered just one turnover. David Harris was all over the field for Carr's troops, making 18 tackles, twice that of his closest teammate. Getting pressure on PSU's Robinson will be key, but so will stuffing the run at the line of scrimmage. It is reasonable to expect the Wolverines to play much better this week, but they will need to bring their "A" game if they want to avoid their third home loss of the season.
With the exception of a hard-fought win at Northwestern, the Nittany Lions haven't won a big game on the road this season. Now that's not to take anything away from what JoePa's club has accomplished -- it's just stating the obvious. Michigan will be fired up to get back in the swing of things and while the game will be physical throughout and probably feature more than a couple lead changes, the Wolverines need this one in the worst way.
Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Michigan 24, Penn State 23
10/12 11:38:40 ET
Saturday, October 15th - 3:30 p.m. (et)
The Sports Network
By Frank Haynes, College Football Senior Editor
GAME NOTES: The eighth-ranked Penn State Nittany Lions are in the driver's seat with regard to the Big Ten championship, and they will look to remain the lone undefeated squad in the conference when they pull into Ann Arbor for this Saturday's crucial clash with the Michigan Wolverines. At 6-0, Joe Paterno's Lions are off to their best start since opening the 1999 campaign 9-0, and PSU is 3-0 in league play. Penn State, the Big Ten's first bowl eligible squad this year, owns the nation's third longest winning streak at eight games, dating back to last season. This is the finale of a three-game stretch against ranked teams, and the Lions have come out unscathed to this point. Penn State outlasted No. 6 Ohio State in Happy Valley last Saturday night, 17-10. A win in this contest will give Paterno 350 victories in his storied career. As for Michigan, it is in unfamiliar territory, having lost three of its first six games. Lloyd Carr's Wolverines already have two Big Ten setbacks, the most recent of which was last Saturday's 23-20 loss at home to Minnesota in the battle for the "Little Brown Jug". The Maize and Blue have yet to put consecutive wins together this season and the loss to the Golden Gophers meant the Wolverines have two home losses for the first time since 1994. They haven't been 3-3 to start a season since 1990. Michigan holds a 7-3 edge in the all-time series with Penn State, but the teams haven't met since the Wolverines took a 27-24 decision back in 2002. UM has won the last six meetings.
It was far from a dominant performance, but the Michael Robinson-led Penn State offense did just enough to help the Nittany Lions to a 17-10 win over visiting Ohio State last Saturday. PSU wound up with just 195 total yards (117 rushing, 78 passing), but Robinson and Derrick Williams both scored on second- quarter runs before turning the game over to the defense. Robinson finished with 52 yards on 14 carries, while Tony Hunt led the PSU ground assault with 64 yards on 16 totes. Penn State struggled on third down, converting just 3- of-13 tries, but did not suffer a sack or turnover on the night. Through six games, Robinson is completing 52.4 percent of his passes for 184.7 ypg with nine TDs and six INTs. Deon Butler, one of three freshmen making significant contributions in the pass game, is the team's top receiver with 20 grabs for 355 yards and four scores, while Williams has accounted for four TDs as well (one receiving, three rushing). Hunt is the team's primary ball carrier, picking up 539 yards and three TDs this year, and Robinson has reached the end zone on runs a team-high five times.
The Penn State defense played about as well as a defensive unit can play last weekend, holding the Ohio State offense to a mere 230 total yards (91 rushing, 139 passing). The 10 points allowed lowered the Lions' scoring defense average for the season to just 15.5 ppg, the second-lowest in the Big Ten, while the yardage yield lowered their total defense average to 295.5 ypg, also second in the conference. Standout LB Paul Posluszny was a man possessed for Paterno's squad, making a game-high 14 tackles which included one of PSU's five sacks on the night. He came into the contest as one of the Big Ten's top tacklers, but has been in the shadow of OSU's big three, A.J. Hawk, Bobby Carpenter and Anthony Schlegel. However, it was Posluszny who earned the praise of just about everyone watching and he now ranks second in the league in total stops with 71. Chris Harrell and Dan Connor both had exceptional games as well, logging 12 tackles apiece, while Tamba Hali continued his dominant play in the trenches, posting 2.5 TFLs, including 1.5 sacks. The Nittany Lions will need to stand tall on defense once again this week, as the Michigan offense has the ability, although not always present, to chew up yardage and put points on the board.
Despite featuring some star-caliber players, the Michigan offense hasn't exactly lit the world on fire this season, and in fact, the unit is ranked ninth in the Big Ten with an average of 397.8 total ypg. In last week's heartbreaking loss to the Golden Gophers, the Wolverines managed just 249 yards, with 94 coming on the ground and 155 through the air. Standout sophomore RB Mike Hart rumbled his way to 109 yards and a TD on 28 carries, but sophomore QB Chad Henne was sacked three times while completing less than 50 percent of his pass attempts. He did not have a TD pass in the contest, marking the first time in his career he didn't toss at least one scoring strike, breaking his school-record 17 straight with a TD pass. Jason Avant had a solid game, hauling in six balls for 73 yards, while fellow wideout Steve Breaston returned a kickoff 95 yards for a score near the start of the second half. Red-zone efficiency has been a sore spot for UM this season, as the team has scored on just 21-of-29 opportunities (14 TDs), while only 42.6 percent of its third-down tries have been converted successfully. Henne has hit the mark on 56.2 percent of his throws this season for an average of 211.0 ypg with 11 TDs against only three INTs. Avant leads the Big Ten in both receptions (45) and receiving yards (587).
The Michigan defense has actually played pretty well this season, giving up just 18.5 points and 322.3 total yards per contest, both of which rank the team in the top four in the conference. The Wolverines have been especially tough against the pass, yielding a league-low 171.2 ypg and only four aerial scores. Their effort versus the run hasn't been nearly as good, with opponents gaining an average of 151.2 ypg on the ground. Last week, the Minnesota offense, one of the top rushing units in the country, churned out 264 yards in averaging 4.6 ypc. Minnesota scored on all five visits to the red zone, converted 9-of-17 third-down tries and suffered just one turnover. David Harris was all over the field for Carr's troops, making 18 tackles, twice that of his closest teammate. Getting pressure on PSU's Robinson will be key, but so will stuffing the run at the line of scrimmage. It is reasonable to expect the Wolverines to play much better this week, but they will need to bring their "A" game if they want to avoid their third home loss of the season.
With the exception of a hard-fought win at Northwestern, the Nittany Lions haven't won a big game on the road this season. Now that's not to take anything away from what JoePa's club has accomplished -- it's just stating the obvious. Michigan will be fired up to get back in the swing of things and while the game will be physical throughout and probably feature more than a couple lead changes, the Wolverines need this one in the worst way.
Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Michigan 24, Penn State 23
10/12 11:38:40 ET
Comment